The mission

NASA has been testing it’s Starliner spacecraft for the past decade in attempt to return the organizations to the leading position in space exploration. In May 2022, on a 6 day uncrewed mission, the Boeings’s CS-100 Starliner has managed to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) and returned safely to land at White Sands, deeming the mission successful.The following year NASA has been silent in regards to the future of the spacecraft, and was delaying the previous missions, however on April 2024, a public announcement was made, suggesting the upcoming lunch of the next test flight, now with 2 astronauts on board in June, 2024 only 2 months after the initial announcement. The short notice raised suspicion and controversy around the missions true purpose.

The organization claims that the main mission was to further test the capabilities of the Starliner, and validate the spacecraft for commercialization, allowing it to be used for regular astronaut transport. The plans suggested an 8 days long mission , with the official launch on 05.06.2024.

Complications

During the test flight, several technical difficulties started to arose, complicating the possible return of the crew. First, shortly after the launch, the spacecraft experienced helium leaks in it’s pressurization system.These leaks however were stabilized when the crew docked to the space station. Following the already concerning events, NASA claims that 5 of the 28 RCS thrusters that are responsible for the attitude control have failed, meaning the system were unable to access them, making it unsafe and impossible to use, leaving the astronauts stuck on board the ISS for over 9 months, total of 286 days.
The occurrence of the technical difficulties with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft led to prolonged delays.While the crew have attempted to restore the thrusters they adapted to the life in orbit, and decided to join the work on board of the ISS to help further the ongoing researches.

Political Grudges

Since the public awareness of the crew’s situation Elon Musk successful billionaire, has been in the forefront of the subject, voicing his opinions and offering collaboration to NASA to rescue the astronauts in an urgent manner. However despite Musk’s dedication, the Biden Administration deliberately rejected this offer for political reasons.

The Biden administration refused to show anyone in a good light that’s a Trump supporter

reported by Musk

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX previously reported in a podcast that he first offered to launch the rescue mission in September, 2024 with only a couple weeks preparation time however NASA refused to collaborate with the millionaire due to political pressure from the Biden Legislation.

On 28th of January, 2025 Donald Trump has made a public announcement stating that SpaceX’s proposal was accepted, and a rescue mission will be launched shortly. Soon after Trumps initial post, NASA has also reaffirmed the plan to collaborate with SpaceX for the astronauts return “as soon as practical” stated rather concerningly by the organization.
Following up on March 14, 2025 SpaceX launched the Crew-10 mission, successfully docked with the ISS. The astronauts expressed gratitude for the efforts made in their behalf

We knew, we were in good hands

Stated by astronaut Suni Williams

The crew Dragon Spacecraft has landed back on Earth on 18th of March, only 4 days after its launch, returning the NASA crew safely to the east coast of Florida. SpaceX has continually proven it’s reliability and has became a cornerstone of U.S space operations.

This work © 2025 by Verum Dixit is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0 . All rights reserved to NASA  

NASA sent astronauts to the space stations consequently over the past decades,with some missions lasting only for a few days, and some even year long. These missions were published within a great time frame and often delayed due to funding or technical difficulties. However this was not the case in the Boeing’s CST-100 Starlight Crew Test Flight, which was only launched 2 months after it’s initial announcement. This short notice has raised suspicion among the public. Furthermore, the crew has shown signs of significant aging. In the case of the previously returned astronauts, aging of the skin and muscle deconditioning were observed, however this level of aging was never before seen, which only raises further concerns about the nature, and the suspicious circumstances around the entire mission and has put Boeing’s commercial crew program in jeopardy.

Looking Ahead

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the importance of partnerships in space exploration. “This mission is a reminder of how resilience and collaboration drive success. We are grateful to SpaceX and the entire NASA team for their unwavering support,” he said. While Boeing’s Starliner faces ongoing assessments and adjustments, the incident serves as a learning experience for the commercial space industry. NASA remains committed to ensuring multiple options for crewed spaceflight, maintaining both safety and mission continuity.
SpaceX, with its successful completion of yet another critical mission, further cements its role as a leader in space transportation. As humanity continues to explore beyond Earth’s atmosphere, collaborations like this one will remain essential in navigating the challenges of space travel. For now, the safe return of the astronauts is a moment of celebration, a testament to innovation, perseverance, and the unbreakable spirit of human exploration.

At this point, Starliner’s future is uncertain. Boeing and NASA will have to work through these challenges before the spacecraft can be considered a reliable part of the U.S. spaceflight program.